Power adapter for wireless router

Can someone please advise me what power adapter I need to buy for a wireless router, as mine has gone on the blink (the adapter not the router). This is the router I have...

http://www.tenda.cn/product/show.php?productid-343.html

Yeah I know it's a brand that no-one has ever heard of, but until now it's been more reliable than the D-Link and Belkin ones I had before.

Anyway, I had a look on Amazon and Play and I have no idea what ones would work and what ones would set fire to my house.

Comments

  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    Spec says 12v 1 watt, so one of these ?

    http://www.grandata.co.uk/secpsu2012vstabilizedswitchmodepowersupply-p-7368.html

    The plug on the end MIGHT NOT fit ! U can get adaptor kits from various places .....

    Also, be careful about polarity, ie, whether it's positive inside or outside. The router is PROBABLY protected, but let's play safe eh ?

    A switched mode supply is auto-protected. If too much current drawn, it shuts down.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    There will be a label on the power supply it will have several items of information on there that will tell you all you need to know to replace it.

    The important two are output Voltage and Current. Which may be indicated something like this

    Output 12V == 1500mA

    This tells you that it is a 12V DC device with a current capacity of 1500mA. Any replacement has to have the same voltage output and at least the same current capacity or greater.

    So in this example a power supply rated 12V 2000mA will do as a replacement but ones rated 5V 500mA or 12V 250mA would not.

    Having a different voltage output could damage either router or power supply, or simply not work at all. Having too low a current rating could cause the power supply to overheat or again simply shut down. Having a higher current rating is no problem as the router will simply draw whatever it needs, it is the router not the power supply that determines the current.

    The other thing to watch for is the connector that plugs into the back of the router. You have to make sure it is the same type and polarity. The label will show polarity but not necessarily type, if the round type there are various diameters of the inner hole some of which look very similar so it's important to get the right one.

    Polarity (which way round the +ve and -ve are) is important as getting it wrong might damage the router. Look for something like

    + --.)-- -

    Not easy to reproduce with text characters but the dot represents the "hole" and the ) the outer contact. In this instance the "hole" is positive and the outer negative (which is fairly common).

    Some generic power supplies have interchangeable plugs and reversible polarity so be careful.
  • TeeGeeTeeGee Posts: 5,772
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    Why not get a spare whole router from eBay while you are trying to source a new power supply?
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    afx237vi wrote: »
    Can someone please advise me what power adapter I need to buy for a wireless router, as mine has gone on the blink (the adapter not the router). This is the router I have...

    http://www.tenda.cn/product/show.php?productid-343.html

    Yeah I know it's a brand that no-one has ever heard of, but until now it's been more reliable than the D-Link and Belkin ones I had before.

    Anyway, I had a look on Amazon and Play and I have no idea what ones would work and what ones would set fire to my house.

    May I ask how you know the adapter and not the router itself is at fault? It it a dodgy plug or completely dead? The power adapters very rarely fail in my personal experience but I'm not familiar with this brand.
  • StigStig Posts: 12,446
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    psionic wrote: »
    The power adapters very rarely fail in my personal experience but I'm not familiar with this brand.
    My experience is the opposite. I've had several power adaptors fail on Netgear products.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,832
    Forum Member
    psionic wrote: »
    May I ask how you know the adapter and not the router itself is at fault? It it a dodgy plug or completely dead? The power adapters very rarely fail in my personal experience but I'm not familiar with this brand.

    I tried the router with the power adapter from the modem (nothing exploded) and I could see it in my network connections on the taskbar. It's just dead, no lights or anything with the original adapter.

    And thanks to spiney and chrisj. Very useful.
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    cpc (farnell components) will have a large range of similar switch mode supplies "wall warts". I couldn;t get their website up, seems currently overloaded ........
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